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Superman: Coming of Atlas
| Creators = James Robinson; Renato Guedes; Jose Wilson Magalhaes; Hi-Fi Design; Rob Leigh; Tom Palmer, Jr.; Matt Idelson | First = Superman Vol 1 677 | Last = Superman Vol 1 680 | Quotation = | Speaker = | QuoteSource = | HistoryText = Superman and Green Lantern are playing fetch with Krypto in deep space. Clark and Hal muse about their current lives. Superman thinks he's gotten lucky so far because he has his parents, his cousin, his wife... and even his dog. Green Lantern, whose life was in shambles thanks to the Star Sapphire Corps and Parallax, wonders if his friend is being too naive. Meanwhile on Earth, the Science Police is battling a humongous white creature. They do their best to stop its rampage, but nothing seems to damage it. Abruptly, someone rams through the monster's chest. In its death throes the creature falls down and crashes into the Daily Planet building. The globe on top of the building topples over and falls down, but it's caught and flung far away by the mysterious figure. The mysterious super-being calls himself Atlas and screams out for a battle against Superman in order to prove his superiority. The Science Police attacks him instead, to no avail. Atlas crushes the whole squad easily and bellows Superman's name again. At last, Superman hears him. He tells Hal to look after Krypto and streaks back to Earth to confront Atlas. Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane race towards the devastation wrought by the battle among the Science Police, Superman and Atlas. As Jimmy wonders what Superman was doing before becoming entangled in another battle, Lois remembers she and Clark were having breakfast and bickering over Krypto because Clark wanted to pick up Hal Jordan and play fetch with his dog in space. As watching the battle, Lois flashes back to Doomsday and gets worried. Superman and Atlas fight on without noticing several drones hovering near and transmitting their every move back to the Science Police headquarters. The members of the S.P. still standing are instructed to intervene and take Atlas down. As Atlas fights them off, he flashes back to how he got stuck in that era. Long, long ago he was a warrior and conqueror. He had just conquered the Lizard Kingdom when he was abruptly pulled through the eras. He lost consciousness and came around to find himself captured in a government facility. He was taught about the modern world before his captor revealed his goals. He wanted Atlas to fight Superman in order to gather information about how to destroy the Man of Steel. Atlas declared he always fights to death, and he knows they'll go after him afterwards because he intends to take over the world after killing Superman. Before going, Atlas enquired how he arrived in the present day. His captor told he used Atom (Ray Palmer)'s Time Pool to find someone strong enough to defeat Superman, but he had the feeling that someone ensured Atlas was given to him. Unbeknownst to Atlas, his friend Chagra was afraid of him. He idolized Atlas when he joined him in his quest to avenge his tribe. Atlas used to be brave and pure-hearted, but he gradually became a short-tempered tyrant. So when Atlas asked for a spell so the "Mountain Crystal", his power's source, was absorbed into his body, Chagra bribed three mages to come up with a spell which would send Atlas far away forever. As Atlas reminisces, Superman, who had been knocked down, streaks skywards. As snapping pictures, Jimmy spots a strange drone, unlike the ones used by the Science Police. Meanwhile, Superman and Atlas keep trading blows, but Atlas does not seem to be getting any weaker. Superman, on the other hand, is quickly and oddly tiring himself out. Lois Lane watches the battle, mortified because their last talk was an argument. At the Lexcorp Tower, Lana Lang is also watching the battle, feeling annoyed by her subordinate Barrington "alien" remarks. Since the Science Police has fallen she intends to use LexCorp's resources to help Superman. Before she can send a response squad, though, a Lex Luthor hologram appears, notifies that helping Superman in any way whatsoever is grounds for dismissal, and promptly fires her. Barrington smugly says she has five minutes to leave the building or she'll be shot on sight. Lana retorts she'll be gone... and he better is gone before then because she fired him due to his insulting remarks before she got herself fired. Another person is watching the fight from a rooftop. He vanishes, but not before Jimmy Olsen gets to snap a picture. Meanwhile, Supergirl perceives that her cousin is in trouble and flies off to help. When she reaches Atlas however, a mysterious beam of energy falls down from the sky and weakens her. Atlas mistakes her for an Amazon and is about to hit her when Superman throws him across the street. Superman tells Supergirl to leave the scene and get as far away as possible. Supergirl doesn't want to, but she immensely reluctantly flies off. Atlas turns his attention back on Superman and pummels him to the ground. Atlas believes he has already gained when he hears a growl. Krypto has just arrived and he wants nothing but hurt the one who has hurt his owner. Krypto launches himself into Atlas, snarling with rage. Superman's heart swells with pride at the sight of his dog fighting in spite of his wounds and the feeling something is wrong with the Sun. On the other hand, Atlas learns he can't get Krypto off him. No matter what he does, Krypto stands back up and mauls him again. As watching Krypto defending Superman fiercely and relentlessly, Lois remembers how she disapproved of Krypto despite her husband protesting that his dog is a good boy, and realizes she was wrong. Nearby, a shadowy figure standing on a rooftop communicates with an unseen person. He patches a command to a satellite which releases a ray of Kryptonite energy down upon Krypto. The ray doesn't seem to have any affect. The satellite fires a differently-colored ray beam which doesn't deter Krypto either. He attempts every weapon in the satellite, to no avail. Both he and his superior are stymied for Krypto's resilience, and the man thinks it's time to go. He ignores he's been spotted and photographed by Jimmy Olsen. Superman hears Atlas snarling that his dog must be some kind of magical creature and it dawns on him magic may be the key to win this battle. Stumbling back to his feet, Superman promises Krypto he'll be right back and flies off to find Zatanna as Krypto fights on. Rather Zatanna however, he instead finds Zatanna's younger cousin Zachary Zatara. Both heroes don't exactly hit it off, but Superman explains he neededs protection against an enemy whose powers are magic-derived. Zatara isn't good with spells involving animated beings but he can charge Superman with the power of the Sun. Unfortunately, it'll only last one minute. Meanwhile, Atlas appears to be finally defeating Krypto when Superman races back to the battlefield and dives into Atlas, separating him from Krypto. The impact creates a huge crater in the ground and the two continue fighting underground. At last, Superman emerges. Bruised and injured but victorious. People cheers Superman, but he tells if they want to cheer a hero they should cheer Krypto. He's his dog, and now he's their dog, too. Superman pets Krypto, who feels happy now. | Issues = * (The Coming of Atlas, Part 1: The World on His Shoulders) * (The Coming of Atlas Part 2: Time Lost) * (The Coming of Atlas, Part 3: All That's Red and Blue Falls Down) * (The Coming of Atlas, Part 4: Man of Yore, Dog of Tomorrow) | Items = * Kryptonite * Time Pool | Vehicles = | Weapons = | Notes = | Trivia = | RecommendedReading = | Links = }}